Lost In Time
by Everything-In-Focus-94
Summary: The Doctor and Donna are summoned to a meeting of the Shadow Proclamation as the representatives of the Human Race and The Time Lords. When the Dr. meets Aditi,he senses something familiar about her. Who is she and how does the Dr. know her? The Dr./OC
1. Chapter 1:Summoned

Lost In Time

"Now!" the Doctor yelled as he bounced into the Tardis closely followed by Donna, who had a face like thunder following the episode in Marinus, lets just say it involved seaweed- lots off seaweed and falling over a lot. He span on the spot and faced Donna, his face as cheerful and excited as a child at Christmas who had ripped the paper away from all the pathetic presents and had finally reached the big one that was right at the back off the tree. Donna felt a smile creep across her face, it was impossible to stay angry at him.

"What do say Donna? Next the Javier Plaque dynasty to meet General Metha and his Fractal squadron who scour the Universe in search off The Phalactryities of Light and Darkness." Donna looked at him like, he'd grown a second head.

"And the Phal-lac-tritis of Light and Darkness are what exactly" she asked. The Doctor looked at her and shrugged.

"Dunno exactly , never got to ask him …. Actually on second thought, its probably not the best idea for him to meet me again, I don't thin I made the best first impression in the world. " Donna snorted.

"Do you ever?" she retorted. The Doctor looked at her like a puppy that had been kicked and opened his mouth to argue but thinking about it merely nodded and muttered _fair point._

"Anyway" he began again "What do you want to do?". Donna looked at him and then at the Tardis console.

"I think you better answer that first" she said, nodding her head towards the console, that was pulsing with a dim light.

The Doctor turned and looked before turning the console screen towards them.

"Oh I have mail, Oh I love getting mail" he said screwing up his nose with a cheeky grin on his face.

"I really do -" he stopped and stared at the screen, his eyes flickering backwards and forwards quicker than Donna could ever imagine. Donna leaned over and peered at the screen before shrugging and sitting down on the floor behind him. After a few moments, the Doctor leaned backwards and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ohhh- Do I really have to go" he muttered. Almost as in response, the Tardis thrummed and put its lights on full blast.

The Doctor scowled up at the console and muttered _bloody law abiding time machine._

"Oh go on them, take us there then" he groaned and sat down beside Donna. The Tardis thrummed into life, apparently flying itself. Donna tipped her head towards him and gave a small sarcastic smile.

"Care to explain, what's going on?" she asked. The Doctor turned towards Donna and took a deep sigh.

"I've- well we've been summoned" he scoffed. Donna was taken aback.

"We've been summoned- you've been summoned." she stood up hands on her hips but ended up back on the floor as the Tardis gave a huge shudder.

"Well who the hell summoned us!" she exclaimed. The Doctor turned to look at her and rolled up his nose.

"The Shadow Proclamation" he stated, holding back a laugh at Donna's face, she clearly hadn't forgotton their last visit their.

"We're not going though" she laughed. The Doctor looked over at her apologetically.

"No of course not" he said carefully but didn't meet her eyes. The smile was wiped off of Donna's face.

"Please tell me we're not going, Dr." she said dangerously as the Tardis shuddered to a halt. The Doctor looked over at Donna who was looking like she wanted to hit something and bit his lip to stop himself laughing.

"No we're not going" he chuckled, pushing himself to his feet and holding out his hand. Donna looked at him and grabbed his hand allowing herself to be pulled up. He smiled at her innocently and gave his sweetest smile.

"No we're not going" he repeated. "We've already arrived"


	2. Chapter 2: Introducing Aditi

Introducing Aditi

"Mistress." The young girl called as she ran into the room, she dropped to her knees in a bow as the Grand Architect entered the room. The Grand Architect, looked at her severely and nodded at her to rise.

"What is the matter?" she said dangerously, still not looking at the girl. The girl, whimpered and ran towards the Grand Architect.

"It's Pyxe, Mistress" the girl whimpered. The Grand Architect, looked at her eye brows raised.

" What about Pyxe?" the woman snapped at the young girl ,who recoiled away in shock as the woman's voice got more and more serious.

"She's . . . she's has a Persuasive Throat Legion, she cant sing tonight" she stammered,

"WHAT!" the Grand Architect shrieked. The girl's bottle finally gave and she fled out of the room shaking from fear.

The Grand Architect groaned and placed her head on the table. Another young woman entered the room with a huge bouquet off flowers, singing quietly to herself.

_Listen…_

_It speaks to those who were not born to die…_

_Listen…_

_Its tell of the orange sun, in winter sky…_

_Listen…_

_From darkness now , I see a ray of light_

_So, now please rescue me before I turn to…_

_The Night._

The Grand Architect looked up, her eyes wide. She had never heard, such a beautiful voice or a song for that matter. For such a simple song, it had such a raw power, the power of music. The Grand Architect looked around… the girl was no-where to be seen. She ran as gracefully as possible, without looking like she was running and grabbed the nearest girl who she could find.

The girl shrieked and The Grand Architect rolled her eyes, it was the stupid girl who had run off earlier, there was no way that this girl was the one who was singing earlier.

"Who was singing just then" she commanded, the girl whimpered at her touch and fresh tears began to run down her face. The Grand Architect got exasperated and shook the girl.

"SPEAK!" she hollered at the girl.

The girl whimpered again but raised her chin triumphantly.

"Mistress, I do not know who was singing" she said defiantly. The Grand Architect groaned and released the girl from her grasp. She started off down the corridor.

"Although" the girl mused. "When I was standing here, Aditi was walking down the corridor humming" The Grand Architect screeched to a halt, she turned on the spot and looked at the girl.

"Where can I find this… Aditi?" she commanded. The girl looked at the Grand Architect and pointed down the corridor.

"She went that way?" she muttered as the Grand Architect started to run down the corridor. The girl shrugged and headed back in the opposite direction.

The Grand Architect ran down the corridor, forgetting about trying to be regal and then suddenly there it was the humming that hinted off a beautiful voice. She started to look inside every room she passed. She was beginning to give up when she finally located the source of the voice.

She stood in the door frame and cleared her throat. The girl arranging the flowers, turned her face partially obscured by her hood. She sank to the floor and bowed her head .The Grand Architect crossed the room and stood before the girl.

"Are you Aditi?" she addressed. The girl looked upwards and murmured _yes._

"Where you the girl who was singing, in the Deep Chamber?" she continued. The part off the face that The Grand Architect could see paled. She nodded her head and murmured yes again.

The Grand Architect nodded her head and placed her hand under the girls chin.

"Let me see your face" she commanded. She pushed the hood backwards to reveal an extremely pretty girl with dark greeny-blue eyes and a chestnut hair that hang down past her shoulders. The Grand Architect nodded again and walked away from the girl.

"I know that news travels fast around here so no doubt you have heard or Pyxe's predicament?" Aditi sniggered, nobody in the Chamber's like Pyxe as she thought she was the bee's knees allways warbling into her mirror whislt people were trying to sleep or in her case practice herself.

"Yes" she sniggered holding back a laugh. The Grand Architect gave her a stern look which shut her up instantly.

"Anyway, I would like you too sing instead of her tonight at tonight's festivities." Aditi's mouth dropped open.

"I will not take no for an answer" The Grand Architect snapped as she swept out off the room leaving Aditi in the middle of the room in shock.

* * *

The Doctor paced around the console occasionally tutting and stopping and tapping his foot.

"Will you hurry up!" he hollered into the back of the Tardis.

"I'm not wearing it!" Donna shouted back. The Doctor rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the consoles.

"Come on Donna! Its traditional" he shouted back. He heard huffing and shuffling around in the back.

"TRADITIONAL!" Donna yelled storming out from behind the curtain in the white dress that the Dr. had leant her,. "I look like a bloody blancmange and…" she cracked up laughing when she saw what the Dr. was wearing.

"Oh my God!" she giggled "Look at you". The Dr. frowned and looked down at the suit he was wearing.

"What?" he protested. He was wearing a white suit with a white suit and a black tie. Donna snorted with laughter.

"Oh, you look like John Travolta, in Saturday Night Fever." The Dr. looked down and did a double take. He looked up at Donna and he cracked up laughing as well.

"Oh, anyway. We need to get going we're going to be late if we don't hurry up." He looked at his watch.

"Umm correction, we're going to be late -er, If we don't hurry up" He grabbed a bag as he walked towards the Tardis door, Donna looked at the bag accusingly.

"Well you don't expect us to walk around looking like John Travolta and a Blancmange all day" he lifted the bag. "Change off clothes" he said like it was totally obvious. Donna ran to catch up with him.

"By the way" she pondered "White clothes at the Shadow Proclamation, a big corny isn't it?" The Doctor turned towards her, his face in a mock expression of hurt.

"It's not corny, it's …. symbolic. Light and shadow joining together to discuss the problems in the universe and ultimately work out a solution for them." Donna looked at him in a new light and smiled.

"Yeah, I suppose so" she smiled at him. He opened the door and took a deep breath.

"Well come on then" he sighed and stepped out off the Tardis. Donna followed after him and gasped.

The Shadow Proclamation had been transformed from a dark, dismal place, to a place full off laughter and old friends meeting up, old friends falling out, the ultimate multi-cultural society. The Doctor having locked the Tardis, put his hands in his pockets and walked up behind her.

"Strange isn't it?" he whispered in her ear. Donna stood opened mouthed, staring around the room. Strange was one word for it. There were green blobs talking to strange purple bug things. There were beautiful mere people in massive glass bottles on wheels who appeared to be talking to a 15ft adipose.

"Hey Donna?" the Doctor whispered , shaking her shoulder. Donna stared at him, and smacked him on the arm.

"Hey!" he scowled at her rubbing his arm. She frowned at him.

"Umm.. Why haven't you brought me here before! This is amazing!". The Dr. looked at her confused.

"Hang on!" he mused pointing a finger up in the air. "You said - and I quote, never take me back to that place as long as I live" He raised an eyebrow,

"Now is there anything in that sentence that would suggest that you wanted to come back here?". Donna scoffed.

"Well if you took me whilst this was happening , I think I might have had a slightly different impression, This is amazing, Its gorgeous!" she gasped.

The Dr. smiled and looked around the room. He rubbed her arm

"The effect never really wears off you know, even when you've been here as many times as me, that excitement, that bubbly feeling your feeling in your stomach- never really goes."

Donna turned to him and linked her arm through his. Her eyes were flickering around the room, there were so many things too see. Massive white and black entwined ribbons hung on the ceiling, black and white flowers in black and white vases decorated every surface. Even the servant's off the Shadow Proclamation had been changed out of their typical black robes that they had been in when Donna had been their last. They had changed into silky black robes that were decorated with swirling patterns of silver glittering stars. Shadow and Light joining together to discuss the problems in the universe, Donna thought with a smile, now that they were here she had to admit it made sense .Donna tugged at the Doctors arm.

"Dr. just out of curiosity… how many times have you been to one off these things?" he totally ignored her he appeared to be staring into space. "Dr." she said.

"Hello?" she said waving a hand in front off his face. He snapped out of it and muttered an apology and wandered off towards a familiar albino woman. Donna gritted her teeth and walked over to the Dr. a forced smile on her face. The lady gave an equally forced smile and held out her hand to the Dr.

He pressed his lips to her hand and muttered "_Pleasure to see you again , Grand Architect". _The woman bowed her head and turned to Donna.

"Charmed to see you again ,Donna" the woman smiled. Donna plastered another fake smile on her face and did a double air kiss with the woman. Unfortunately the woman appeared to want to start a conversation , so politely Donna exchanged pleasantries , until her cheek muscles hurt from smiling. When the Grand Architect eventually swept away, Donna turned to complain to the Doctor only to find that he was staring into space again.

"What are you looking at ?" she murmured. She followed his eyesight and singled out the object that he was staring so intently at. It was a woman, she couldn't really see anything about the woman except that she was very tall and slim, with dark brown hair that hung past the ring off her hood. She appeared to be swaying to some unknown music. She appeared to be totally normal but the Doctor could not take his eyes off her. From behind The Grand Architect rang out through the hall , snapping the Doctor out off his trance and stopping the girl swaying.

"Could everyone please enter the Deep Chamber. The discussion is about to begin". The Doctor turned to Donna as though he had only just noticed she was there.

"Ready to go then?" he smiled suddenly very chipper. Donna was confused and simply nodded. The Doctor moved ahead and walked towards the door but not before Donna noticed his eyes flickering towards the woman one more time.


	3. Chapter 3:The Allowing

The Allowing

Donna wriggled as she felt a poke in her side. _Dooonaa? _a voice swam into her head. Donna groaned and looked up. She gently lifted her head and looked around her. People where filtering slowly out off the room. Donna flushed bright red.

"Oh My God!" she whispered. "Did I fall asleep in a meeting? In a meeting governing the universe? Oh God!" she sighed. The Doctor snorted causing Donna to look at him like she was going to punch him. The grin fell off the Doctors face and he gave a look of apology holding up his hands in surrender.

She frowned up at him at whacked him on the arm.

"Hey! ,That was the same spot as last time, gonna have a bruise there… anyway what was that

for!" he exclaimed rubbing his arm. Donna frowned again.

"How could you let me fall asleep!" she hissed at him. The Doctor shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry about it… no-body noticed. Half the people in the room were asleep anyway" he said, shrugging on his jacket. Donna noticed that he had changed back into his usual pinstripe suit and his hair that had been slicked back earlier had returned to its usual messed up, fluffy style.

"Well come on then, Donna. We're going to miss it" he said. Donna yawned and looked at him confused.

"Miss what… and why were half the people in the room asleep?" she groaned stretching her arms before stopping and staring.

"Bu- you… DID YOU CHANGE MY CLOTHES!" she screamed causing people to look around and stare at her. Donna flushed and glared at the Doctor. He smirked and shook his head.

"No, it was the architects. Cor if I had a pound for every time I fell asleep and had my clothes changed by the architects… anyway to answer you other questions." He said walking over to the double doors that were firmly closed and grasped the handle. He turned back to Donna with a strange look on his face.

"The reason why people fall asleep at these things, is that they don't come for the meeting. They used the meeting as a nap so they're ready for why they REALLY come here" he said, raising his eyebrows.

Donna raised her hands.

"And why do they come here?" she groaned getting to her feet, she was getting exasperated at the Doctor's games. He smirked again and pulled at the handles. The doors flew open and revealed a party in full swing, packed with more people than Donna had ever seen in one place. Her mouth dropped open.

She stepped forward and peered through the doors. The Doctor peered through the doors as well with a smile on his face.

"Welcome to essentially the biggest party in all the known universe. That's what people come here for" he said looking down at her.

* * *

Somehow within the next few minutes Donna and the Doctor found themselves talking to a reptilian man, who had the facial features and the skin of a snake but was essentially _timelord (_or human)shape as the Doctor whispered in her ear. Even though she had been momentarily shocked and distracted by the man's appearance Donna gradually found herself laughing along with the man, even though he hissed through his teeth which made his snake like appearance even more prominent, but the whole time she was aware that the Doctor wasn't really listening to what the man was saying.

Even though he hummed, nodded and laughed at the correct times in a way that a human not listening could never really achieve, every time Donna looked up at him she found that his eyes were flitting around the room in their usual manner and he had his _searching _look on. He was looking for something, someone and Donna was almost certain she knew who he was looking for.

She was brought out of her train of thought by a tap on her shoulder. She turned and the Doctor sensing her movement turned with her.

A young woman with her face bowed down, with a hood over the top, stood before them brandishing a tray loaded with exotic looking foods and drinks. Donna wondered for a moment how the girl managed to carry all of the food before the Doctor nudged her and motioned with his head for her to take something. Donna paused for a moment before picking something that looked vaguely like a large yellow shrimp. She gingerly put it in her mouth and was pleasantly surprised; it tasted like a mixture of fish and pineapple. She began to turn back towards the reptilian man, but the Doctor leaned in and touched her arm.

"You have to _allow _her to go" The Doctor whispered into her ear. Donna gulped down the food and gave a mini-choke as it went down the wrong way.

"What?" she whispered back after she stopped chocking. The Doctor motioned with his head to look behind her. Donna spun on the spot again and saw that the woman was still standing there, still as a table holding out the tray to the group of people.

"Why couldn't you _allow _her to go?" she hissed at the Doctor. He sighed as it was bleatingly obvious.

"She picked you, when she tapped you on the shoulder she picked you as her commander… actually it would be extremely useful if you allowed her to answer my questions" he said quietly, as the reptilian man was beginning to look suspicious.

"Well what do I say?" she pleaded, looking up at him with massive eyes. The Doctor groaned and clutched his head.

"Donna, just say I allow you to talk to this man, and point at me… ok?" he hissed. The woman holding the fruit raised her head slightly and met Donna's eyes.

"Er, what he said" she said, awkwardly. The woman nodded and turned towards the Doctor, holding out the food to him.

"Yes miss, you can put that down I wish to speak with you" he said looking at the woman, who nodded again and hurried away to place the tray on the table. He turned to Donna, smiled and muttered his thanks and turned to woman to start his conversation with her. Donna squirmed as she looked around the room.

She was at an alien party, filled with strange creatures from other worlds, two of which were heading right for her. Fantastic.


	4. Chapter 4: An Ode To Gallifrey

An Ode to Gallifrey

"Yes hello, whats your name?" the Dr said awkwardly. The woman smiled, or it seemed that she smiled from under her hood.

"My name is Lilian, kind sir. It's nice to hear someone ask me that again, I haven't heard that since my time on Revalatinaorious. Since then I've just been 'oi you girl'… Now how may I help your sir? I believe you have questions for me?" she pulling her hood down to reveal a plain girl albeit it her skin was tinged a slight lilac/blue color which contrasted in the pale amber eyes she had.

"Why hello Lilian. I must say I spent some time on Revalatinaorious, is Kindman Francis X12 still on the throne… ah never mind that I diverge. I was wondering if you could tell me about a girl I saw in the hall before the discussion. She was about yay big" he said raising his hand to around his chest height.

"And she obviously worked here because she had a hood on… umm, she had dark brown hair and… oh on her hood! She had three stars with a musical note, I believe she was some kind of musician. Do you know where I can find her?" he said a hint of desperation in his voice. Lilian smiled and nodded.

"That's Aditi… she's one of the Allowed who used to work with me. But when Pyxe got ill yesterday the grand architect made her the chief performer, which is lucky as Pyxe's voice would have cleared the hall in two seconds.. I think James is putting her on last for one song to do just that" she giggled.

The Doctor chuckled politely but deep down was exasperated and wanted to get through the girl gossip to the important things about her.

"Well that's all well and good, but I would very much like to meet this Aditi. Is that at all possible" he said his eyes glittering. Lilian gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"How could you suggest such a thing sir. Don't you know that only Lords of Corpedium can have access to that area." She said shaking her head.

The Doctor reached into his pocket for the Psychic Paper.

"Well that's ok, because that is exactly what I am" he said flashing the paper across the girls face. Well not a total lie, he was a lord of sorts.

Lilian's mouth dropped open.

"We-ll that's simple then… just go up to the guard at the door and show him that and his will let you in. May I go now sir?" she said getting up without being allowed obviously going to tell her friends who she had been talking to.

"Just one final question Lilian" the Doctor began. The girl turned and nodded eagerly.

"Of course my Lord" she said giving a slight incline to her head.

"This girl… where is she originally from?" he said slowly. The girl frowned.

"Ummm, I'm afraid that no-one knows my lord. She appeared on the doorstep a few years ago and even she can't remember her home planet. All she has is a pocket watch but that doesn't appear to be of any interest to her, its like _she doesn't even know its there"_ she said before shrugging and scurrying off with excitement.

The Doctor froze and placed his head in his hands deep in thought.

* * *

Donna plonked herself next to the Doctor after shaking off both of the aliens who had seemed more than a little interested in her. He appeared to be lost in thought, his fingers linked and a deep furrow in his forehead. She lightly tapped him on the head and he blinked and turned towards her.

"Hmmm? Yes hello Donna… and you've been sitting there how long?" he asked clearly distracted by whatever he had been thinking so intently about previously.

"Well I would guess at about… a second." She muttered sarcastically. The Doctors face fell. 'oh' he breathed out.

"Anyway Doctor the music's starting soon and I have a horrible… DOCTOR!" she shrieked as he span around and gripped her shoulders.

"The music's starting! But… but she's a musician… well of course she's a musician, I mean we were always talented but I mean its starting now… NOW? Why didn't anyone tell me?" he babbled at a rate that Donna could barely understand.

Donna looked at him perplexed as a band struck up a chord and the Doctor turned around so sharply that she thought his head was going to fly off. A woman appeared through a trapdoor and sat in darkness. A brilliant white spotlight appeared on her sending sparkles onto the crowds from the glittering crown on her head.

The Doctor let out a choked gasp as did many of the other men in the crowd. What the hooded cloak had been hiding was truly a thing of beauty. She had a soft, pretty face with long glossy chestnut hair framing it. Her body was dressed in a simple but elegant white dress and them she looked up. Her eyes where a deep blue and as the light hit them they turned almost turquoise as the green elements where brought out. She opened perfect rosebud lips and began to sing.

_Naur vi eyrn,_

_Lanc I dalaf._

_Mathach vi given?_

_Nostach vi' wililth?_

Her voice echoed around the hall, sending a shiver up everyone's spine. In a haunting mystical language, she had made everyone feel something that they had never felt before.

Except the Doctor, in his mind old memories were awakened as the language he thought he would never hear again was sung to him.

Donna tapped him on the shoulder. He begrudgingly turned and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" he whispered quickly, his eyes desperate to see the woman once more. Donna leaned forward.

"Why isn't the Tardis translating it? I mean it does EVERY language you said but this one… nothing." She whispered, ignoring the irritated glances she was getting from the people on their table.

_Máb le i nagor,_

_Bád gurth vi ngalad firiel._

The Doctor sighed, his expression softening.

"Its not translating.. because it's the only language it doesn't need to translate. I never told you this but the Tardis doesn't really translate for us… but for itself, it doesn't translate it gets confused" he explained to an entranced Donna.

"This language" he said softly pointing at the woman. "Is the only language the Tardis and I for that matter would never need to translate."

Donna leaned forward again. "Yeah and what language is that?" as the woman ended her song. The hall erupted into applause and many men whistled and stomped the ground, much to the annoyance of their other halves. The woman blushed, took a small curtsey and walked off stage. The Doctor was lost in his own mind again, Donna gently touched his arm and his eyes met hers.

"Doctor what language?" she whispered. The Doctor looked down at his feet again. Tears filled his eyes and spattered onto the floor.

_'The woods are burning,_

_the ground lies bare._

_Do you feel it in the earth?_

_Can you smell it in the air?_

_The war is upon you,_

_Death moves in the fading light._

_Are you part of this world?_

_Will you join their fight?'_

He looked at Donna. A small, sad smile appeared on his lips.

"My language. My native tongue… The only language I never will need translating as I will never forget…. Gallifreyan. That song was the Ode To Gallifrey" he whispered as Donna's mouth fell open.

* * *

The song is in Elvish... for anyone wondering. I'm just borrowing the language for Gallifreyan as I'm not creative enough to make up my own language. The language is created by Tolkien as is the song however I cannot remember the name... 


	5. Chapter 5: We Meet Again

We Meet Again

Aditi sat brushing the tangles out of her hair. Many of the women in the chambers used to comment on how beautiful her hair was and how they wished that theirs was like that, but after a few years of hearing her yowls of pain as the Grand Mistress brushed out every single knot, which on some days could take a while they stopped commenting, and somehow her hair after one particularly brutal brushing has stayed straight-ish meaning that she didn't have to suffer the wrath of Grand Mistress any longer.

She hummed along to the song in her head. Where that song came from, she had no clue. All she knew was some days she would wake up with a song that to her knowledge she had never heard before in her head, sung in a language that to her knowledge she had never learnt, yet somehow she _did_ know. And yet somehow she did know it- in her dreams. She called it her dream world, with its own dream language, a world all of her own trapped in her mind, a world all _to_ her own as no matter where she searched in her dream, she was the only person to be found. The lyrics filled her head as her eyes filled with tears for the lonely world and she began to sing instinctively the tune that in her mind went with the lyrics.

_When the cold of winter comes_  
_Starless night will cover day_  
_In the veiling of the sun_  
_We will walk in bitter rain_  
_But in dreams_  
_I can hear your name_

"And in dreams, we will meet again" a voice behind her finished. Aditi shrieked and span round at the sudden noise behind her, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here and who-"she shouted taking the man in before something made her stop. She looked at the man and frowned.

"Ummm… this may sound crazy but – do I know you?" she whispered looking deep into the man's eyes, which were a deep chocolate brown.

The man chuckled sadly.

"Oh I was hoping you would say that" he whispered. A burning sensation appeared at her heart and she gasped as a second fluttering in her chest started. She sank to the floor in shock, breathing heavily. The man followed her down and clutched her face making her look at him.

"You have the fob watch right?" he whispered. She looked at him perplexed. The fluttering subsided and she regained her breath.

"Fob watch? You mean that ancient thing I was found with? What is that to do with you, it doesn't even work- hang on how do you know about it in the first place?" she said pulling away from him. The man sat back on his haunches and sighed.

"It's a really long story, it's easier if I showed you. Come here" he said getting up off the ground and holding his hand out to her.

Aditi shrunk away, from the strange man who had somehow done something to her.

"I promise I won't hurt you" he whispered, his eyes pleading and his fingers outstretched. Aditi paused for a moment before looking into the man's eyes. Again there was a fluttering in her chest not as scary as the first time, and she gingerly took the man's hand.

As she raised herself of the ground she was aware of the man's other hand at her waist, a feeling that felt totally familiar yet at the same time completely alien. She had never been touched romantically before as all the architects were sworn to the Proclamation and would never leave without permission from the Mistress herself (which was granted rarely) and in that oath it was also stated that no romantic liaisons with anyone could occur. Of course some girls broke their oath and were subsequently tasked to do some of the more undesirable jobs that were needed doing. But the way that this man was making her feel- she felt it may be worth it.

"Who are you?" she breathed as their eyes met once more. He smiled.

"I'm the Doctor" he said, so matter of fact. A question sprung to her lips but she bit it back. In her eyes it seemed that the_ name_ was more of a title than an actual name. She nodded.

The Doctor pursed his lips and put his fingers to her temple. He had never tried this on another fully fledged Time Lord before, sure the children had practiced with little success on each other, but to open his mind to another one who had seen the vortex and was suppressing her memories at the moment. He paused before gently removing his fingers. The girl looked at him her eyes wide and confused.

"I can't do it" he whispered as he moved away from her.

"To open your mind without your body running on all cylinders, it will hurt you too much. It may even kill you, its not fair on you that we rush into this. I've waited years to find another of my kind- well another of my kind that doesn't want to kill me anyway, I can wait a few minutes longer" he said sadly.

Aditi however was reeling from the ideas that the man had just presented to her. The idea that she wasn't the last of her kind. That this man, this kind, gentle man who had thought of her when it was obvious how long he had waited for this, was another of the same planet as her. Her heart fluttered again and a similar pattern pounded on the other side of her chest. She placed both her hands over the beatings and gasped as she felt pounding beneath them both.

"Its ok- its ok. That's totally natural" The Doctor said springing towards her. He took her hands off her chest and placed them on the corresponding spots on his. Aditi gasped, the same as hers.

She leaned towards him and placed her head where her hands had been, switching from one spot to another. She pulled away, keeping her hands on his chest and looked up at him. He smiled softly at her.

Suddenly she was reminded of who and what she was. Without warning she pushed him backwards. The Doctor steadied himself and sighed loudly.

"No romantic liaisons right?" he said screwing his face up.

"Yeah" she said breathlessly. She thought for a moment before reaching into her cloak and pulling out a solid fob watch. She was aware of the Doctor's eyes watching her every move and she held it out to him.

"This what you mean?" she asked. The Doctor walked forward and looked at the object. He stared at it.

"You know it's strange… before you mentioned it, I didn't know it was there… I mean I knew I had it but I never really paid any attention to it… That make any sense to you?" she stammered looking confused.

The Doctors face broke into a huge grin.

"That makes _perfect_ sense, the only thing I can't understand is how you knew Gallifreyen" he said running a hand through his hair. Aditi blinked at him.

"The song?" he continued.

"The song? But I dreamt that song… the language as well… and the planet… are you telling me that all my dreams are real?" she exclaimed racking her brains , for every dream that she had ever had.

"Well I wouldn't say that all your dreams were real, but with you sleeping with the watch round your neck it's entirely possible that it would leak into some of your dreams" he mused. He looked away for a single second.

Aditi pressed the latch on her fob watch and heard whispering coming from within. She looked at the Doctor.

"I'm ready to find out who I really am" she muttered. The Doctor span round and watched in horror as a familiar golden light streamed from the watch into the girl's eyes.


End file.
